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On September 18th, I had my favorite book signing! I had a reunion with my former students from Mountain View Elementary. I was so excited to see how they have grown up over the years. My first 2nd grade class students are now Juniors in High School. It was great to sign their books…..my book could not be successful with out all of their support. Getting to know these kids and their families has been a highlight of being a teacher for the past 10 years. The scary part is that some of them are taller than me!

It was New Local Author’s Day on September 17th and I headed over to Barnes and Noble at Cumberland in Atlanta, GA. I was given a nice location at the front of the store and Nancy and I waited patiently for people to arrive and all of the sudden, the line began. There were a bunch of people that I knew who came out for their books to be signed and I also got some people I have never met before who heard of me on the radio and in the newspapers. That was exciting!

We stayed for about 2 hours then packed up and left. The Community Relations Manager at this location was April, and she was GREAT. Thanks for a great author visit!

Lisa Wysocky(co-writer), Me, Sharlene Martin(literary agent), Anthony Flacco (author of Tiny Dancer and the writer my screenplay proposal). We are at Dutton’s Bookstore in Beverly Hills for a book signing.

Nancy and I at a book signing at Barnes and Noble in Carlsbad, CA.

While in LA, I had a chance to do a few book signings, one at Barnes and Noble and another for the Tourette Syndrome Association of Southern California.

Speaking at the Event with my dad and Diane to the side.

Brad and Lisa showing off the book!

Nancy and I signing the books and my brother and I with the famous “Cookie Cake!”

The Atlanta Book Signing was simply amazing. What else could I ask for then most of my favorite people together with me celebrating the release of the book. In attendance were about 150 people. This was the first time everyone got a chance to see that I wasn’t lying, I really did publish a book!

UPDATE- Be sure to check out my new website for PR! This includes a lot of new information.
www.frontoftheclass-pr.com

And don’t forget the old one: www.frontoftheclassbook.com

Cheers

I am very happy to announce that my book is officially hitting book stores across America. I’m excited to share my story with so many people. You can buy it online or in your favorite book store now. Keep an eye out on my website to see when I might be visiting a city near you!

Thanks to all my friends and family who have supported me over the past 4 years as I have worked to publish a book.

I’m excited for the journey that is ahead of me and I’m even more excited to share my experiences with all of you as we celebrate together!

Cheers

Living with Tourette Syndrome has never been easy, but in my book, Front of the Class, I remind people that just because they have a disability, they can still be successful.

I have come up with the top 5 things that every person with a disability should know.

#5 No excuses, EVER! It is important for people with disabilities to learn to live with it. They need to try and experience life just as a “normal” person would. It may be more challenging, but they shouldn’t be blaming what they can’t do on their disability. There were plenty of people that told me I couldn’t be a teacher. As I came upon obstacles I needed to hurdle over, I never gave the excuse that I couldn’t be a teacher because of Tourette’s. If I couldn’t believe in myself, then how could I get others to believe in me? No excuses. Try hard, if that doesn’t work, try harder. Just try your hardest not to blame what you can’t do on your disability.

#4 Humor, be able to laugh! It is important to sometimes take a step back and be able to laugh. I know having a good sense of humor has really helped me to live with Tourette’s. When my friends see I’m able to laugh about things, it makes it easier for them to talk to me about Tourette’s and they don’t feel awkward. One thing I always tell my students at the beginning of the year is that I’m willing to play all types of games, but not Hide and Seek. I tell them I was never good at that game as the person always finds me because they just listen for me to make a vocal tic. The kids always find that funny.

#3 Become the expert! It is so important that you become familiar with your own medical condition. This is crucial for when others may come up to you and ask what’s wrong with you. This is one of the first things I did once I was diagnosed with Tourette’s. I needed to know everything about Tourette Syndrome that was possible so I had the answers to questions that were asked about me. After I became the expert on Tourette’s, I not only was able to answer questions about my condition, but I also began standing up in front of my classes and educated other students about Tourette’s so they understood why I did the things I did.

#2 Be open and honest with others! It is important for you to remember that not everyone knows your disability. My tics really stand out and can sometimes disturb others. What I have learned is once they are educated about my situation, they leave me alone. If you don’t educate them, then you will leave them wondering what is wrong with you. I look at educating others as an opportunity to teach more people about Tourette’s. Many people are still uneducated about my condition so by me teaching others will hopefully help others with Tourette’s down the road. Although it seems difficult, taking the initiative to educate people will make your life easier in the long run.

#1 Don’t look at your disability as a weakness, see it as an opportunity! It is important for you to never forget that we are all human beings. Just because you are a little different doesn’t mean you should be treated differently. I know it’s easier said than done, but you must dig deep inside yourself and find out what makes you special. Start small and build upon those successes. Growing up, being in a school classroom was so difficult for me. I was never able to be that student that my teachers wanted me to be. In elementary school, I never had a teacher that appreciated me for who I was. All they could see was that I was an annoying kid who made noises all day, everyday. I was looked at as the problem child. But through all those tough times, deep down I knew that I wanted to grow up and be that teacher that I never had. I wanted to be there for students when they needed a teacher the most. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children and I knew I could do this based on my own experiences. I turned living with Tourette Syndrome from a weakness into an opportunity. I now stand before elementary school children and try to be that role model I never.

Is there something else you would add to my list?

Hello Everyone-

Welcome to my BLOG! This is new for me and it might also be new for you. I hope to use this blog as a resource to keep people up to date with what I am doing in regard to my new book which will be released in September, 2005 and my speaking engagements which will be happening more often. I hope to add articles to help people in the Tourette community, give my insight on things going on in education today, share pictures of my experiences, and most of all help make a difference in our society.

I encourage you to join me in my journey by visiting my website and blog frequently.

Be sure to bookmark both this blog and my website.
www.frontoftheclassbook.com

As I get closer to the release of the book, more will be happening to the website and this page.

I hope you visit often. Once again, welcome to my BLOG!

Cheers
Brad
brad@frontoftheclassbook.com